Timekeeper.



PATENTED MW. 21, 1905.

A. A. NEWMAN.

TIMEKEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED snmxs, 1904.

ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIMEKEEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed September 9,1904. Serial No. 228,809.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTimekeepers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements intimekeepers; and its object is to produce a device to cooperate with thetype of timekeeper illustrated in my application filed on even dateherewith and allotted Serial No. 223,808.

The particular object of my invention will appear more fully and atlarge in the course of this specification, and the invention is fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is asectional view showing certain parts of the timekeeper in elevation andother parts in central longitudinal section in the line 1 1 of Fig. 2.Fig. Qis a horizontal section in the line2 2 of Fig'. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the parts in the different positions, and Fig. 4 isa perspective view of one of the adjustable tripping-posts of thedevlce.

Referring to the drawings, A is the cabinet which contains thetimekeeper and operating mechanism, the same consisting of a timemechanism a, centrally disposed within the cabinet, and ahopper a on theupper end of the clock-arbor, said hopper opening into a flat radialtube a, adapted to guide a check from the hopper into a pocket. N 0further description of the time keeping mechanism proper will benecessary at this time, as the same is fully set forth in theapplication above referred to.

The cover A of the cabinet is perforated at its center above the hoppera, and a block B, having a coin-slot, is inserted in the perforation.This block has an outwardly-turned flange b, which serves to support themechanism of my present improvement. To the flange b is journaledacircular plate 0, which is provided with a plurality of sector-shapedopenings 0, alternating with similar solid portions, the openings andsolid portions being of equal angular extent. The plate C iseccentrically disposed with reference to the arbor of the clock and thehopper a. The plate C carries at the center of its lower face astarwheel C, having points 0, corresponding in number to the spaces onthe plate (J. In the form of device herein illustrated a plate is shownwith three perforate sectors and three solid sectors, and the starwheelis consequently shown with six points; but it is evident that the numberof spaces can be varied, if desired.

A bracket (1 is secured to the flange b, the said bracket carrying aspring D, which bears at its end a roller (Z, bearing against thestarwheel (1. The spring D is made of sufiicient tension to cause theplate C to remain in one of the six possible angular positions whereinthe roller (Z lies at the bottom of the notch between two adjacentpoints on the starwheel. In any of these positions the plate will occupya position so that the slot in the block Blies close to the left-handedge (when looking down) of one of the spaces on the plate (J.

The hopper a carries at its upper edge a cylindrical flange A upon whichare secured a plurality of movable blocks E, having setscrews 0, bywhich they can be locked in place, and bearing upwardly and outwardlyextending posts 6, adapted to engage with the points of the star-wheel.The hopper is provided with a dial A, divided into hours and minutes,and each of the blocks E is' provided with a pointer, the end of whichis close to the dial and by the aid of which the trippingpost can be setin any desired position.

The operation of my improved device will be readily apparent from theforegoing description. In practice the hopper a and tube a rotate in thedirection of the arrowin Fig. 2, and when the parts are in the positiontherein illustrated one of the open spaces in the plate C is below theslot in the cabinet, so that the checks used in the timekeeper can bedropped through into the hopper. As the hopper moves on from theposition illustrated in Fig. 2 one of the tripping-posts engages withone of the points on the starwheel, moving it from the positionindicated in Fig. 2 to that indicated in Fig. 3. The slot, it will beseen, is open during all this time. The roller CZ on the spring Deventually rides up over one of the points on the star-wheel andimmediately runs down on the opposite side thereof, swinging the plateCuntil the slot lies immediatelyover the left-hand edge of the solidspace next adjacent to the open one over which it was last situated.This closes the slot in the cabinet and makes it impossible for aworkman to insert his check. The slot remains closed in this way untilthe next succeeding tripping-post strikes the next point on thestar-wheel, when the operation is repeated and the slot is opened. Thefigures on the dial A are so arranged that the pointer on the block Elies opposite the figure indicating the exact moment when the rollerruns over the point of the starwheel and completes the movement of theplate 0.

In practice the tripping-posts are set in such a way that the slot willbe closed a short time after the workmen are all supposed to havearrived and will open a short time before they should begin to leave. Inmany factories it is desired to have an accurate record of the number ofminutes each workman was absent, and this is kept by the other mechanismof the timekeeper. In case, however, a workman is unusually latesayone-half hour or an hourit is often desirable that he be compelled toexplain his tardiness immediately to the foreman or other person incharge. My present invention makes this possible, for if a workman comesin after the slot of the cabinet is elosed it is impossible for him toinsert his check in the machine and he must take it in person to theforeman, giving an explanation of his absence, if required. Otherwisehis check would have to be left on the rack and he would get no creditfor any attendance on that day or half-day.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of thisconstruction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and Itherefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific form hereinshown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Inadeviceofthe class described, the combination with a series ofcheck-receivingpockets, of a slot through which the checks are passed,clock-controlled mechanism for determining which of the series ofpockets the checks enter and means for periodically closing said slot.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cabinetslotted to receive checks, a time mechanism, and a dial carried by thetime mechanism, of tripping-posts adjustably secured to the dial, aplate journaled adjacent to the slot and having perforations adapted toperiodically register with the same and a star-wheel on the platearranged to be engaged by the tripping-posts.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a timekeepermechanism having a series of pockets to receive checks, clockcontrolledguiding means for directing checks to said pockets successively and aslot to introduce said checks to the guidingmechanism, of aclock-controlled device for periodically closing said slot.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a timekeepermechanism having a series of pockets to receive checks, clockcontrolledguiding means for directing checks to said pockets successively and aslot to in troduce said checks to the guiding mechanism, of means underthe control of the guiding means for periodically closing said slot.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a timekeepermechanism having a series of pockets to receive checks, clockcontrolledguiding means for directing checks to said pockets successively and aslot to introduce said checks to the guiding mechanism, of a perforatedplate journaled adjacent to said slot and engaging devices carried bythe guiding means for rotating said plate to periodically open and closeslot.

In witness whereof I have signed the above application for LettersPatent, at Chicago. in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 2dday of September, A. D. 1904:.

' ABRAHAM A. NEWVMAN.

WVitnesses:

POSEY Ross, GEORGE F. BALDRY.

